foreign returned MBBS students not to be admitted in PG in State quota

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By Vikas Vaidya

Though Medical Council of India (MCI) has relaxed the rule of giving Eligibility Certificate for the students wanting to study in foreign countries, the troubles have not ended so far. Now Maharashtra Government has refused to give admission in the State quota of Post Graduate intake.
Due to severe shortage of MBBS seats in the country, most of the Indian students are opting for medical colleges in China, Russia, Central America, the Philippines among others every year. Getting the degree in these countries is relatively cheaper. A student can complete MBBS abroad in less than Rs 30 lakh. In the state, the student has to pay, apart from the fee, a donation of up to Rs 80 lakh to get a seat in management quota. All this totals to Rs 1.5 crore. Earliers these students had to obtain eligibility certificate from MCI. This data has been obtained from Board of Intermediate Education to verify the age and qualifications for doing MBBS in foreign countries. Now MCI has removed this condition and made it clear that the students who want to do MBBS from foreign country on or after May 15, 2013 are not required to get the certificate. But MCI pointed out that these students should fulfil the eligibility criteria for admission to MBBS course as laid down in the Graduate Medical Education Regulation, 1997.
The students after doing MBBS in foreign countries and wanting to pursue PG in India have to face screening test called as Foreign Medical Graduates Examination (FMGE). After passing that exam they were asked to do one year compulsory internship in hospitals approved by MCI. After doing that, they were given permanent registration by MCI. After getting permanent registration from MCI, Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC). It means they can practice as any other doctor and can also do jobs in government and private hospitals just like other doctors. But they can't take admission for post graduation through state quota!
Since November 2012 government has started conducting a National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) for admissions to Medical Post Graduation Seats.This NEET exam is conducted by National Board of Examination.The board has given two ranks to every eligible student.First rank is All India Rank while second rank is State Rank. Maharashtrian Foreign Medical Graduates have also received two ranks in this exam. These students have formed Association of Maharashtrian Foreign Medical Graduates (AMFMG) to appeal to state to allow them to take admission through state quota.
There are other states like Tamilnadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Goa which allow their Domicile Foreign Medical Graduate Citizens to take admission through their respective state quotas.If these states are allowing their Domiciles to appear for state counselling,then even State of Maharashtra can do so, ask the students.
The students who have completed MBBS from foreign countries are facing tough situation. They have completed all the procedures but now Maharashtra Government is not ready to admit them in State quota of PG. Minister of Medical Education Dr Vijay Kumar Gavit has said that these foreign returned students would not get admission in State quota and they have to take admission through All India quota.
The students who studied in foreign countries have got permanent registration. They should be treated equivalent to the students here. But now Dr Gavit is saying that they needed to do MBBS from Maharashtra. The students had approached Minister, Directorate, Additional Chief Secretary Anand Kulkarni. Kulkarni had sent a proposal to Dr Gavit to allow these students to get themselves admitted in State quota. But it did not work out. Other states are giving admissions in state quota.

other State students taking benefits

 Domiciles of other states who have done their MBBS in Maharashtra are allowed to take Post Graduation Seat through State Quota of Maharashtra. Now these students will be going back to their home states after completing their post graduation. Many of them are allowed to take PG seat from their respective state even if they have done their MBBS from Maharashtra. If such students are allowed to take seat through state counselling of Maharashtra, then Domicile Maharashtrians should also be allowed to do so as they will be serving the state of Maharashtra even after their post graduation.